Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Norman Chow, D.O.
Family Medicine · Los Gatos, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating.
This page presents federal public records about Dr. Chow from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Chow
Dr. Norman Chow is a family medicine specialist in Los Gatos, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chow performed 8,151 Medicare services across 2,033 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chow received a total of $2,526 from 21 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 128 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Chow is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 2% volume in CA
$2,526 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗8,151
Medicare services
Top 2% in CA for family medicine
2,033
Unique beneficiaries
$63
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~429 Medicare services per year of practice
Top procedures by volume
Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.
| Procedure | Volume | Avg. paid | Avg. submitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing facility visit, low complexity A daily follow-up visit for an existing patient in a nursing facility involving straightforward medical decision making. The visit requires at least 15 minutes of time if time is used to determine the level of care. |
3,028 | $69 | $100 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
986 | $85 | $120 |
| Home visit, established patient, low complexity A physician visits an existing patient at their residence to provide care involving a low level of medical decision making. The visit lasts at least 30 minutes. |
955 | $67 | $108 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
486 | $71 | $100 |
| Blood glucose test using hand-held instrument A test that measures the level of sugar in the blood using a portable device. The result helps monitor blood glucose levels. |
406 | $3 | $15 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
310 | $114 | $164 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
279 | $10 | $25 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
274 | $13 | $30 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
208 | $8 | $12 |
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
144 | $3 | $12 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
114 | $13 | $52 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
103 | $37 | $45 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
98 | $159 | $230 |
| Heat wave therapy application Application of heat wave therapy. |
95 | $7 | $20 |
| Osteopathic manipulative treatment, 9-10 body regions A hands-on therapy where a doctor uses their hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury by moving and manipulating muscles and bones. This specific code covers treatment involving 9 to 10 different areas of the body. |
95 | $77 | $130 |
| Flu vaccine, quadrivalent A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus to help prevent seasonal influenza infection. |
77 | $76 | $80 |
| Hospital discharge day management, 30 minutes or less This service covers the final day of hospital care when the patient is being discharged. It includes coordination of care and instructions for the patient within a time frame of 30 minutes or less. |
74 | $74 | $100 |
| Initial nursing facility care, high complexity An initial visit by a healthcare provider to a patient in a nursing facility involving a high level of medical decision making, lasting at least 45 minutes. |
65 | $162 | $216 |
| Stool test for hidden blood (FIT) A laboratory test that analyzes a stool sample to detect hidden blood using an immunoassay method. |
57 | $16 | $45 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
54 | $107 | $140 |
| Stool test for blood to screen for colon tumors A test that analyzes a stool sample to detect hidden blood, which is used to screen for colon tumors. |
42 | $4 | $12 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
42 | $54 | $80 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
37 | $156 | $280 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
24 | $72 | $80 |
| Measurement of heart blood flow and respiration This procedure measures blood flow within the heart and tracks breathing patterns. |
24 | $29 | $100 |
| Home visit, new patient, moderate complexity A home visit for a new patient involving moderate medical decision making, lasting at least 60 minutes. |
22 | $123 | $204 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while monitoring the electrocardiogram under physician supervision and review. |
20 | $71 | $300 |
| Expiratory airflow and volume test A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed at which you can breathe it out. It evaluates lung function by assessing expiratory airflow and volume. |
16 | $26 | $50 |
| Nursing facility visit, moderate complexity A follow-up visit by a healthcare provider at a nursing facility for an established patient. The visit involves moderate medical decision making and takes at least 30 minutes. |
16 | $99 | $140 |
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$2,526
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $361/year across 7 years
Top 14% in CA for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
21
Companies
128
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$2,526 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$203
2023
$512
2022
$180
2021
$744
2020
$428
2019
$230
2018
$232
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
PFIZER INC.
$107
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$34
Lundbeck LLC
$24
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$22
Lilly USA, LLC
$16
Top 3 companies account for 81.2% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
PFIZER INC.
$575
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$574
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$344
AbbVie Inc.
$274
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$263
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$62
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$56
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$52
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$51
Lilly USA, LLC
$38
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$26
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$24
Lundbeck LLC
$24
ABBVIE INC.
$24
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$24
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$22
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$22
Allergan, Inc.
$21
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$21
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$16
Allergan Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 59.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Amitiza · BELSOMRA · BREZTRI · COLOGUARD · COLOGUARD DNA CAPTURE REAGENTS · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · EUCRISA · FARXIGA · JARDIANCE · MOUNJARO · MYRBETRIQ · NAMZARIC · NURTEC ODT · NUZYRA · PAXLOVID · QULIPTA · REXULTI · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · Trintellix · UBRELVY · Uloric · VIBERZI · VRAYLAR · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · Yupelri
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
969
Per 100K population
50.9
County median income
$159,674
Nearest hospital
HAZEL HAWKINS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Chow is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 2% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 14% of CA peers, with 19 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Chow experienced with nursing facility visit, low complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chow performed 3,028 nursing facility visit, low complexity services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Chow receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Chow received a total of $2,526 from 21 companies across 128 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Chow's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Los Gatos?
Dr. Chow's average Medicare payment per service is $63. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Chow) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.
This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. Data Coverage reflects data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.
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